Tag: Treasury

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 23 September 2024.

The Chancellor has today unveiled a package of measures to deliver on the agenda of the new government.

The Chancellor has today unveiled a package of measures to deliver on the agenda of the new government including a breakfast club pilot for 750 schools with primary aged pupils, new powers for the Covid Corruption Commissioner, e-invoicing to support business and the next steps on the government’s industrial strategy.

School Breakfast Club Pilot

The Chancellor announced that up to 750 schools with primary aged pupils will be invited to take part in a £7 million breakfast club pilot. The funding will allow these schools to run free breakfast clubs for their pupils in the summer term (April-July 2025).

The Department for Education will work with the schools selected as part of the pilot to understand how breakfast clubs can be delivered to meet the needs of schools, parents and pupils when the programme is rolled out nationally.

This will help reduce the number of students at schools with primary aged pupils starting the school day hungry and ensure children come to school ready to learn. It will also support the government’s aim to tackle child poverty by addressing rising food insecurity among children.

Covid Corruption Commissioner

Reeves also announced a block on any Covid-era PPE contract being abandoned or waived until it has been assessed by the new Covid Corruption Commissioner, whom will be appointed in October.

The decision will affect £647 million of Covid PPE contracts where contract recovery was previously earmarked to be waived.

It follows action already in motion to cut government waste and curb unnecessary spending. In her statement to Parliament in July, the Chancellor pledged to halve government consultancy spend from 2025-26, with savings targets of £550 million this financial year and a further £680 million in the next already announced.

Excessive use of ministerial travel by aeroplane and helicopter is also being cutdown, with confirmation that a military contract for a helicopter also used for VIP trips, is not being renewed at the end of the year as previously announced.

Industrial Strategy

The Chancellor also today announced that the Industrial Strategy will be at the heart of the government’s mission to grow the economy, unlock investment and make every part of the country better off. It will focus on delivering long-term change to the economy by making Britain a clean energy superpower and accelerating to net zero, breaking down barriers to regional growth, and building a secure and resilient economy.

A green paper will be published around Budget in October outlining the long-term sectoral growth and priority industries of the government, ahead of the final strategy published in the spring of 2025 following a consultation with business.

HMRC package

Chancellor Reeves also outlined a package of reforms to improve the UK’s tax system to help fix the foundations of the UK economy.

As part of the package, HMRC will soon launch a consultation on electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) to promote its wider use across UK businesses and government departments.

The introduction of e-invoicing can significantly reduce administrative tasks, improve cash flow, boost productivity, introduce automation, and reduce errors in tax returns – all helping to close the tax gap. The consultation will gather input from businesses on how HMRC can support investment in and encourage e-invoicing uptake.

The Chancellor also announced that Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury James Murray, the minister responsible for the UK’s tax system, has become the Chair of the HMRC Board. This is to help oversee the implementation of his three strategic priorities for HMRC; closing the tax gap, modernising and reforming, and improving customer service.

It was also announced that a new Digital Transformation Roadmap, aimed to be published in Spring 2025, will set out HMRC’s vision to be a digital first organisation underpinned by customer insight. The Roadmap will include measures to ensure digital inclusion and support for customers who cannot yet interact digitally.

There was a further update that new staff are expected to join HMRC’s training programme in November as 200 additional offer letters have been issued as part of the 450 letters already sent. This is part of HMRC’s plans to recruit an additional 5,000 compliance staff to help close the tax gap.

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 18 September 2024.

Rachel Reeves leads government backing of the Invest in Women Taskforce, which aims to create one of the world’s largest investment funding pools aimed solely at female founders.

Female business founders to get the Chancellor’s backing as Rachel Reeves puts her weight behind the Invest in Women Taskforce – which aims to create one of the world’s largest investment funding pools for female founders – as she pushes forwards the government’s mission to grow the economy.

The Invest in Women Taskforce is the successor to the Rose Review, an independent review of female entrepreneurship which found that a £250 billion boost could be added to the UK economy if women started and scaled their businesses at the same rate as men.

Support for women and their contribution to the economy is a personal priority for Reeves as Britain’s first female Chancellor. The core aim of the Taskforce is to establish a funding pool of more than £250 million for female-founded businesses through private capital, making it one of the world’s largest investment funding pools aimed solely at female founders. As well as backing the Invest in Women Taskforce, the Chancellor will take an active role in steering its priorities and objectives as well as attending Taskforce meetings and events.

To mark this and celebrate the key role played by female business leaders in all parts of the economy, on International Equal Pay Day, the Chancellor – in partnership with women’s rights charity the Fawcett Society – is hosting a reception in No.11 Downing Street this evening.

At the evening reception, Chancellor Reeves will convene a group of female business leaders from across Britain’s foremost growth industries, such as financial services and technology as well as the creative sector.

She will set out their importance to the government’s number one priority mission for growth and champion their part in its delivery. She also will set out her agenda for women in the economy, vowing to improve the economic opportunities available to women and close the gender pay gap once and for all. That includes strengthening rights at work and investing in childcare.

Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said:

It is a huge responsibility to sit in the Treasury as the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer and be able to use my position to improve life for women across the UK – one that I don’t take lightly.

That includes ending the gender pay gap, strengthening rights at work and investing in childcare. And by backing the Invest in Women Taskforce we can establish one of the world’s largest dedicated investment funding pools for female-powered businesses, helping grow our economy.

This event gathers together some very powerful women but the truth is, everyone can do something for women’s equality – whether that’s supporting the women and girls in their lives with their ambitions or making their workplace a fairer playing field.

With 5.5 million businesses driving the UK economy, entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of the UK’s economic growth. While women make up over 50% of the population, they represent only 21% of business owners, with less than 6% of active equity backed companies founded by women. The Invest in Women Taskforce, alongside other government initiatives including the Women in Finance Charter which encourages female representation in financial services, aims to change this.

The event comes ahead of the International Investment Summit next month, at which the Chancellor is working to ensure there is strong female representation both in terms of agenda and attendance.

The Department for Business and Trade has also published its annual Investing in Women Code report today, which finds that venture capital fund managers who have signed up to the Code are more likely to invest in female founders.

The report also shows that the 250 signatories of the Code are leading the way in addressing the finance gap between male and female entrepreneurs. 32% of all venture capital deals made by Investing in Women Code signatories were in female-founded companies last year, compared to the market average of 28%, revealed in the latest report published today. This is the fourth year in a row that Code signatories have outperformed the wider market.

The Investing in Women Code was founded in 2019 as a landmark government-led initiative in response to the Rose Review’s findings that a lack of funding was one of the most significant barriers to women seeking to effectively scale a business. It is a commitment from finance providers to female founders, with signatories now including the British Business Bank, British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA), UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA), UK Finance, and Responsible Finance. Investing in Women Code signatories account for 40% of UK Business Angels Association angel investment groups and 47% of venture capital deals.

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 12 September 2024.

New rules for banks and building societies announced today will ensure the UK financial system is resilient, competitive and promotes investment in the UK economy.

The Basel 3.1 reforms are the final part of the internationally agreed Basel 3 framework. Today’s proposals, announced by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), mark the end of the post-2008 crisis capital reforms and give the certainty industry will need to invest for growth.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves welcomed the reforms, saying they would deliver certainty for the banking sector to “finance investment and growth in the UK” ahead of a joint meeting with the Bank of England Governor to discuss them with CEOs of the UK’s largest banks and building societies in No11 Downing Street.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:  

Today marks the end of a long road after the 2008 financial crisis.

Britain’s banks have a vital role to play in helping businesses to grow, getting infrastructure built and supporting ordinary peoples’ finances.

These reforms will strengthen the resilience of our banking system and deliver the certainty banks need to finance investment and growth in the UK.”

Economic Secretary to the Treasury Tulip Siddiq said: 

These new rules bring the UK in line with international standards while supporting the dynamism of the UK economy.

This is a balanced package that promotes the competitiveness of the UK banking system as well as economic growth.”

The PRA’s new rules, including those already announced in December 2023, have both financial resilience and growth at their core, reflecting an increased focus on growth and competitiveness.

Banks and building societies will have to maintain sufficient capital against risks, such as loans not being repaid, to protect people and businesses from the fallout from a 2008-style financial crash.

The PRA’s near-final rules also include a number of changes from its initial proposals that will support economic growth and competitiveness. The key changes made by the PRA will:

• Lower its proposed capital requirements for lending to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). This will mean lending to SMEs continues to be supported, helping to deliver the government’s ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.
• Lower its proposed capital requirements for infrastructure projects, ensuring no increase on current requirements and supporting the UK’s transition to net zero.
• Streamline the approach banks can take to mortgage lending, by simplifying the approach to valuing residential property.

The PRA’s new rules will come into force on 1 January 2026, providing the banking sector with the certainty it needs to prepare for the new requirements. The Treasury will repeal the legislation required for the PRA to move forward with the Basel 3.1 package.

The PRA published proposals for a simpler regime for smaller firms alongside its near-final Basel 3.1 rules. This regime will make it easier for smaller banks and building societies to lend by minimising the number of calculations they are required to make and introducing a single capital buffer.

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 11 September 2024.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves secures a planned £8 billion investment from Amazon Web Services which is estimated to support around 14,000 jobs per year across the UK.

• The Chancellor will welcome the announcement as part of the Government’s mission to boost growth, unlock investment and make every part of Britain better off
• Reeves will say the Government’s mission to ‘fix the foundations of our economy has only just begun’

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has today [11 September] confirmed an £8 billion investment from Amazon Web Services which is estimated to support thousands of jobs across the UK.

The Chancellor secured the planned five-year investment last week at a meeting with Amazon Web Services. The investment is estimated to support around 14,000 jobs per year at local businesses, including those across the company’s data centre supply chain such as construction, facility maintenance, engineering and telecommunications, as well as well as other jobs within the broader local economy. AWS estimates that these investments in the UK will contribute £14 billion to the UK’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 2024 to 2028.

Rachel Reeves will welcome the announcement as part of the government’s long-term mission to boost growth, unlock investment and make every part of Britain better off.

Speaking from a University Technical College in Silverstone today, which works with Amazon Web Services to introduce students to the skills required to enter the digital infrastructure industry, the Chancellor will warn that ‘change cannot happen overnight’ and ‘two quarters of positive economic growth will not make up for fourteen years of stagnation under the previous government.’

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said: 

I am under no illusion to the scale of the challenge facing our economy and I will be honest with the British people that change will not happen overnight. Two quarters of positive economic growth does not make up for fourteen years of stagnation under the previous government.

However, this £8 billion investment marks the start of the economic revival and shows Britain is a place to do business. I am determined to go further so we can deliver on our mandate to create jobs, unlock investment and make every part of Britain better off. The hard work to fix the foundations of our economy has only just begun.

Amazon Web Services Vice President and Managing Director, Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), Tanuja Randery said:

The next few years could be among the most pivotal for the UK’s digital and economic future, as organisations of all sizes across the country increasingly embrace technologies like cloud computing and AI to help them accelerate innovation, increase productivity, and compete on the global stage.

AWS is proud to announce our plans to invest £8 billion in digital and AI infrastructure over the next five years to help meet the growing needs of our customers and partners, and support the transformation of the UK’s digital economy.

The investment announcement comes ahead of this year’s UK International Investment Summit on 14 October, where the UK will bring together the world’s most important companies and investors, demonstrating how the UK’s offer is the best in the world, with political and economic stability, a strategic government partnering with businesses, a proper trade strategy, and policies designed to enable growth.

Today [11 September] the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published their biennial surveillance of the UK economy, which provides analysis and insight of the state of the UK economy and policy challenges. HM Treasury have worked closely and collaboratively on the Economic Survey with the OECD.

The Survey recognises the UK’s weak growth and poor productivity growth over the past decade. This is partly the result of low investment, particularly since the UK voted to leave the EU in 2016. It highlights the importance of stability and certainty for business investment, as well as reforming the planning system.

The government welcomes the OECD’s analysis and recommendations. The government’s number one priority is to deliver a sustainable increase in growth, based on stability, investment and reform, as part of a decade of renewal. The government has already announced plans to reform the planning system and unlock further investment, including through a new National Wealth Fund.

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 4 September 2024.

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and the Venture Capital Trust (VCT) scheme have now been extended by ten years to 5 April 2035.

• Government extends two leading investment schemes 10 years from April 2025 to April 2035 as part of its relentless pursuit of growth.
• Extensions will support start-ups and entrepreneurs to help them grow and rebuild Britain.
• The change will build on over £41 billion of investment generated over 30 years.

Thousands of entrepreneurs and start-ups are set to benefit from the extension of two leading government investment schemes to help them grow the economy and rebuild Britain.

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and the Venture Capital Trust (VCT) scheme were both set to end on 6 April 2025 and have now been extended by ten years to 5 April 2035.

The schemes are designed to encourage investment into new or young companies through tax-relief incentives, encouraging innovation, creating jobs and stimulating economic growth.

The government is fully focused on restoring economic stability, taking the tough decisions to fix the foundations of our economy, rebuild Britain and make every part of our country better off.

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, James Murray, said:

“Startups and entrepreneurs are a driving force for greater investment, more jobs, and economic growth in the UK. By extending these schemes for 10 years, we are providing the stability and support they need to help us make every part of Britain better off.”

The extension, announced via a Written Ministerial Statement today in the House of Commons, will provide the confidence to continue investment into high-risk, early-stage businesses in the UK, supporting long-term growth and the development of their trades.

Industry leaders have praised the announcement.

BVCA Chief Executive Michael Moore said:

“It is excellent news that the government is moving so quickly. This means that investors can now focus on what they do best, investing, safe in the knowledge that these schemes now have the long-term security needed to drive investor confidence.

“The BVCA has long advocated for this move as these schemes play a vital role in supporting early-stage companies that have the highest growth potential and crowding in further investment through the growth cycle.

“As the third largest VC market in the world, the UK has proven the success of EIS and VCT, and with many jurisdictions now following our lead, it is vital that the UK retains its competitive edge in a competitive world and this move is a very positive step in that direction.”

Richard Stone, Chief Executive of the Association of Investment Companies, said:

“VCTs invest in the UK’s most exciting early-stage companies. They help entrepreneurs transform their businesses. Extending the VCT scheme until 2035 will allow the sector to raise further capital and invest with confidence. This will ensure VCTs can help the government secure its ambitions to grow the economy, support innovation and create jobs.”

Both schemes offer incentives to investors of up to 30% upfront income tax relief and an exemption from capital gains tax on any profits made after the sale of shares.

The EIS, introduced in 1994, offers tax relief to individuals that invest in new shares in qualifying companies with investors able to invest up to £1 million, or £2 million if the shares are in knowledge-intensive companies, which focus on research and development.

The government recognises the risk that investment in early-stage companies carries, so investors are offered loss relief through the EIS as long as shares are held for at least two years.

First introduced in 1995, VCTs are companies listed on the UK’s stock exchange that invest in early-stage trading companies on behalf of people, enabling individuals to invest up to £200,000 per year in new VCT shares. Dividends received from VCT’s are also tax-free.

Both schemes have already seen significant success with over £41 billion raised through the schemes since the EIS was launched in 1994. The schemes continue to generate vast amounts of investment, with £2.9 billion of funds raised across the schemes in 2022-23 and 1,280 companies using the EIS for the first time over this period.

The Treasury has made regulations to bring this into effect which have come into force.

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 30 August 2024.

Ian Corfield has been appointed as an unpaid International Investment Summit Adviser by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

In this role, Ian Corfield will work with the Chancellor, her political advisers and officials in the Treasury, as well as relevant teams across Government, to advise and help on delivering the International Investment Summit on 14 October 2024.

The summit itself is intended to advance opportunities for growth and investment across the country; make clear that the UK is open for business to trading partners around the globe; create a pro-business environment that supports innovation and high-quality jobs in the UK; and allow global business leaders to hear directly from the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers on how the government will drive future investment.

Ian Corfield will advise on delivering these objectives in relation to the agenda, engagement of key businesses, and the investment pipeline generated from the event.

Ian Corfield will be in post until 31 October 2024. Declarations of interests have been made in the usual way.

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 29 August 2024.

The travel bans are in addition to the financial prohibitions to which they are already subject.

• Nazem Ahmad and Mustafa Ayash, who were designated by HM Treasury on 18 April 2023 and 27 March 2024 respectively, are now subject to a travel ban and so cannot enter the UK.
• This is HM Treasury’s first use of the power to impose a travel ban on an individual under its Domestic Counter Terrorism Regime.

The UK Government has announced a travel ban on two individuals under the Domestic Counter Terrorism Sanctions Regime. A travel ban means persons are excluded for the purposes of section 8B of the Immigration Act 1971 – it means that they cannot enter the UK.

This action is the first use of new travel ban powers under the Domestic Counter Terrorism Sanctions Regime. The travel bans are a part of continued efforts to protect the integrity of the UK economy from terrorist financing threats. They are used to target those who are suspected of being, or to have been, involved in terrorist activity in the UK but are not UK nationals.

Further information on how the travel ban is implemented can be found on the Home Office pages of GOV.UK.

Sanctioned individuals now subject to a travel ban:

• Nazem Ahmad, suspected Hizballah financier.
• Mustafa Ayash, promoting terrorism through his involvement with Gaza Now, a terrorism-promoting media network.

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 22 August 2024.

Ilford taxi and delivery driver claimed £100,000 of Bounce Back Loans and failed to spend the money on his businesses.

• Hafiz Saeed Ahmad, of Ilford, overstated the turnover for two businesses to falsely claim a total of £100,000 from the covid loan scheme
• Ahmad claimed the maximum loan of £50,000 each for his taxi and delivery businesses
• He failed to use the money for the economic support of the businesses

A taxi driver from Ilford in East London must abide by 11 years of tough bankruptcy restrictions after falsely claiming two Bounce Back Loans totalling £100,000 during the covid pandemic.

Hafiz Saeed Ahmad, 47, from Meath Road in Ilford, applied for two separate Bounce Back Loans for his delivery business, Sanwal Deliveries and Distribution, and for his taxi company, both based in East London.

He became bankrupt in February 2024 and the official receiver, whose role includes investigating the cause of a bankruptcy, discovered that Ahmad had overstated the turnover of both businesses to claim more money than each was entitled to under the rules of the scheme.

Samantha Crook, Deputy Official Receiver at the Insolvency Service, said:

Hafiz Ahmad abused taxpayers’ money not once, but twice, taking out two separate loans based on false information, claiming more money than his businesses were entitled to receive.

These long-lasting restrictions will help to protect people from financial wrongdoing by limiting Ahmad’s access to credit and making others aware that there are sanctions against him.

The investigation found that Ahmad had claimed £50,000 for his delivery business in July 2020– the maximum allowed under the scheme. He applied for a second £50,000 loan – this time for his taxi business – in September 2020.

The official receiver also discovered that Ahmad had failed to use the loan money for the economic benefit of either of his trading businesses – a breach of the scheme’s conditions.

The rules of the Bounce Back Loan scheme allowed businesses to claim up to 25% of their 2019 turnover, with a maximum loan of £50,000. The money had to be used for the economic benefit of the business.

The official receiver secured an 11-year Bankruptcy Restrictions Undertaking (BRU) from Ahmad, in which he did not dispute that he had obtained a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan for each of his businesses by overstating their levels of turnover and that he had not used the loans for the economic benefit of his trading businesses.

The undertaking extends his original bankruptcy restrictions from the standard 12 months until 19 August 2035.

Bankruptcy restrictions ban Ahmad from acting as a company director without the court’s permission and from borrowing more than £500 without declaring that he is subject to the restrictions. They also prevent him from holding certain roles in public organisations.

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted the Bankruptcy Restrictions Undertaking from Hafiz Ahmad on 20 August 2024.

Further Information

• Hafiz Ahamd is of Meath Road, Ilford. His date of birth is June 1977.
• Further guidance about Bankruptcy Restrictions Orders and Undertakings
• Details of BRO and BRU restrictions relating to individuals can be found on the Individual Insolvency Register

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 22 August 2024.

Company claimed to be able to provide cheap hospitality at events such as the Six Nations and Formula 1 races.

• Prive Global Sports Ltd offered heavily discounted hospitality packages to businesses for in-demand sporting events
• The company’s clients paid for packages which were later cancelled with no refunds provided
• Customers have lost more than £600,000 in total

A company which offered half-priced hospitality at sold-out sporting events has been shut down after cancelling the bookings at short notice and failing to pay refunds to customers.

Prive Global Sports Ltd sent unsolicited emails to prospective clients, targeting them with high-end corporate hospitality at events such as the Six Nations Rugby and Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The company offered packages at a significant discount of around 50%, claiming the tickets had become available due to cancellations.

Prive Global Sports would then email customers ahead of the dates to cancel the bookings, promising a refund and free tickets to alternative events.

No refunds were ever made and the company’s clients suffered financial losses of more than £600,000.

Prive Global Sports was wound-up at the High Court in Manchester on Wednesday 21 August.

David Usher, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:

Prive Global Sports never had the rights to the corporate hospitality packages it offered to businesses, scamming them out of hundreds of thousands of pounds instead.

Customers lost out not just financially but also reputationally when packages intended to raise their own profile were cancelled at short notice.

The company also collected significant sums in VAT payments when it was not registered to do so and submitted highly dubious and unverified accounts to Companies House.

Investigations into Prive Global Sports, which began in February 2024, found no evidence of legitimate trading activity from the company.

The company had been established in March 2020 under the name Valamus Ltd.

A number of clients who spoke to the Insolvency Service said they had made complaints to Action Fraud about the company.

The RFU and FIA, the governing bodies for rugby union in England and worldwide motorsport, published warnings on their websites stating they had no affiliation with Prive Global Sports and urging customers not to buy tickets from them.

Prive Global Sports also charged 20% VAT on each sale, collecting around £120,000 in tax, when it was not registered to do so.

The Insolvency Service found no evidence that any VAT collected by the company was paid to HM Revenue and Customs.

Accounts filed at Companies House in 2022-2023 valued the company at £4.75 million. The Insolvency Service found no evidence to support such a valuation.

Prive Global Sports also failed to maintain a registered office and the company phone and email contacts no longer work.

The Official Receiver has been appointed as liquidator of the company.

All enquiries concerning the affairs of the Prive Global Sports should be made to the Official Receiver of the Public Interest Unit: 16th Floor, 1 Westfield Avenue, Stratford, London, E20 1HZ. Email: piu.or@insolvency.gov.uk.

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 20 August 2024.

Child Benefit can be claimed for children after they turn 16 if they are staying on in approved education or training.

Parents have less than 2 weeks to tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) their 16-19 year-old is continuing education or training or their Child Benefit payments will stop.

Hundreds of thousands of teenagers will decide on their future this week as they receive their GCSE results on Thursday (22 August 2024).

For parents of 16-19 year-olds who haven’t yet extended their claim, Child Benefit payments will stop after 31 August. If their child is going to continue in approved education or training, parents can continue receiving Child Benefit and HMRC is urging them to extend their claim now.

To make sure they do not miss out, parents can quickly and easily extend their Child Benefit claim online on GOV.UK or via the HMRC app. More than 270,000 parents have extended their claim digitally so far, with the changes applied to their record without the need to wait on the phone.

Parents should keep their claim details up to date, even if they’ve opted not to receive Child Benefit payments due to the High Income Child Benefit Charge. Parents who want to opt back into receiving Child Benefit payments, can do this quickly and easily online on GOV.UK or in the HMRC app.

Child Benefit is worth up to £1,331 a year for the first or only child, and up to £881 a year for every additional child.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said:

Child Benefit is an important financial support for many households and we don’t want to see any eligible family miss out. You can extend your claim quickly and easily online or via the HMRC app, just search ‘Child Benefit when your child turns 16’ on GOV.UK.

Victoria Benson, CEO of Gingerbread, the charity for single parent families, said:

Child Benefit is valuable to families and particularly single parent families, who are forced to make ends meet on a single income. It’s really important, with the 31 August deadline fast approaching, that parents whose children are going into further education and training extend their claim as soon as possible to avoid missing out on this crucial financial help.

Child Benefit can continue to be paid for children who are studying full time in non-advanced education, which includes:

• A levels or Scottish Highers
• International Baccalaureate
• Home education – if it started before their child turned 16, or after 16 if they have a statement of special educational needs and it was assessed by the local authority
• T levels
• NVQs, up to level 3

Child Benefit will also continue for children studying on one of these unpaid approved training courses:

• in Wales: Foundation Apprenticeships, Traineeships or the Jobs Growth Wales+ scheme
• in Northern Ireland: PEACEPLUS Youth Programme 3.2, Training for Success or Skills for Life and Work
• in Scotland: the No One Left Behind programme.

If a child changes their mind about further education or training, parents can simply inform HMRC online or via the HMRC app and payments will be adjusted accordingly. Parents can check the status of their claims at any time by viewing their proof of entitlement in the app or online.

Parents will need a Government Gateway user ID and password to use HMRC’s online services. If they do not have one already, they can register on GOV.UK and will just need their National Insurance number or postcode, and 2 forms of ID.

Further information

HMRC wrote to 1.5 million parents between May and July this year reminding them to extend by 31 August.

In total, more than 522,000 parents have extended their claim so far.

Parents who can’t extend their Child Benefit online or in the HMRC app can still do so by post or by phone.

More information on Child Benefit for 16-19-year-olds.

Parents cannot claim Child Benefit if their child is taking a course that is part of a job contract.

Parents can view and manage their claim quickly and easily online or on the HMRC app. This includes viewing payment information and proof of their claim, adding additional children and updating their details – all without needing to call HMRC.